Art KL-itique

With a yellow background and traffic cones on its poster, "Barricade"  clearly states its intent to comment on the upcoming general elections.  Cynical laughter-inducing pieces fill the space - a brilliant round ping-pong table , washed-up flags of a political party, and Yee I-Lann's commemorative pieces on an independence fantasy. Sharon Chin - Weeds / Rumpai Series #1 (2012) Chong Kim Chiew's brick wall made of "newspapier-mâché", poses a serious and potent critique about political bias in the local media.  It is a reminder that the power of media should not be underestimated, and politicians should never be allowed to meddle with it. Chong Kim Chiew - Untitled (2013)

In 50 years of existence, Bank Negara has made wise investments into the local visual arts, amassing an impressive collection. Beginning with Hoessein Enas, many critically acclaimed Malaysian artists are represented, as one walks around the partitions to admire this well-hung exhibition. Chung Chen Sun's 'Tin Mine' is a beautiful Chinese ink drawing of a faded Malaysian landscape. The wet and washed-up sand in the foreground, joins up with the structures that goes on in the industrialised background. The photographic composition reminds one of the history of a diaspora - a history where we can stand far away to observe, but never far enough to forget. Choy Chun Wei's claustrophobic composition is amplified with thick Roman pillars and narrow shacks, portraying a visceral visual about a choking urban density. Choy Chun Wei - The Living Space of the Materialist Dwellers (2003) Displayed next to it is Hamidi Hadi's 'Drop'. A different kind of dens...

I possess the strange trait of being able to remember feelings during an event in the past, where memories in the form of sight & sound, is less vivid than the memory of feelings experienced.  The fleeting moment rekindles the sensory recall - the message in one's eyes, the assured grip of a hand, the melancholic buzz of nightfall, the juicy flavours in a morsel, the whiff of acidic acridity. My Father's Noodle Shop (2012) Chin Kong Yee's "Infinite Canvas" captures the improbable vastness of a prolonged memory, a summation of repetitive exposure to a habitual landscape.  Objects converge on multi-dimensional planes depicted through a fisheye lens; Beings are collectively shown as they are remembered, some with clearly drawn facial features, others blurred or only the colour of their trousers are shown.  Through the distortion of visual reality, Kong Yee's works trigger, distract even, the viewer to recall the timeless in his paintings...

Being a non-Muslim hence also a non-Malay, it is sometimes difficult to understand the difference in cultural / ethnic beauty and religious symbolism.  "Taman Nurani" i.e. the garden of Eden, exhibits its works based on 4 general groups defined in seni Islam : Imitation of nature, Conception, Stylisation, and Abstraction. Latiff Mohidin - Voyage I Heavyweights like Syed Ahmad Jamal, Ahmad Khalid Yusof, Ilse Noor, and Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir feature prominently in this exhibition.  A large Ramlan Abdullah steel construct laid on the floor, but I was more absorbed with the metal & glass displayed on nearby pedestals, stunning sculptures that utilise material and form to induce reflection of the immaterial, in its viewers. Ramlan Abdullah - Minaret IX The unexpected masterpiece is Raja Zahabuddin's green boxes in a mosque, interior markings in a place of worship, that facilitates a devout's prayer and inner peace.  This deeply spiritual work ...

Looking through the two earlier Henry Butcher auctions in the year, it is ironic that I see captivating contemporary works in the modern art  auction ; Whereas mature, reflective works are spotted in the young contemporary  auction .  A common theme of the following paintings is its ability to invoke self-reflection, examining one's position in this world at that particular moment. Puah Kok Yew - Kelantanese Boats (1996) Puah Kok Yew's 'Kelantanese Boats' stagnates the viewer in his/her position at the bow of a sampan, looking out to blue sea, sky, and boats.  The guardian spirits in the foreground, also blue,  forces the viewer to pause, before we trudge along with the momentum of life. Juhari Said - Katak Nak Jadi Lembu (1999) A more in-your-face reminder is the black & white woodblock print, of a frog mutating into a bull.  The absurdity of being someone outside your true self, is successfully visualised by Juhairi Said, who i...

Gary Thanasan and his magazine going about business as usual - some quality and value-for-money works on the block, but my main gripe is that there are too many new works from 2011-2012 (14/108, 13%), making it look like a stock clearance sale disguised as an  auction .  Complaints aside, there are some admirable works, like Wong Perng Fey's 'New Village VII'.  It is amazing how the outline of a roof, sketchy lines to represent fences, and a dirty yellow palette, can visually channel the environments of many a Malaysian-Chinese diaspora - the New Village 新村. Wong Perng Fey - New Village VII (2007) Malaysian art pioneer Abdullah Ariff's watercolour mastery is displayed in its full glory in 'Misty'.  The dark, deep hues had me confused initially for an oil/acrylic painting, but Abdullah's ability to smudge colours successfully illustrates this mysterious atmosphere.  Going under the hammer also are a number of established artists and their signature sty...

Recommended by  the   Edge-Options  (Jan 28 ed.), I visited the Purple Houz gallery off Jalan Gasing for Ronnie Mohamad's solo exhibition.  Before that I had the opportunity to browse its stockroom, which had a few interesting pieces, including a lovely cat drawing by Dzulkifli Buyong. Portrait series: Fighters (2012) Ronnie honed his craft at Kompleks Kraftangan, and it looks like he has put in his 10,000 hours to achieve mastery in drawing.  Two framed rows of pastels depicting silat exponents greet the visitor, its firm & precise strokes leaving an immediate impression.  Beside it is the large-sized 'Fighters', an interesting take of the pertarungan subject matter - is he fighting another person, or is the opponent his own phantom?  The blurred exponent facing us provides a startling contrast, to the fighter's rippling muscles in the foreground. Portrait series: Bubble Boy 1 (2012) The monochromatic palette continues...

This year's 18@8 was held in Singapore, but it was nice to see the works on display back at the Gardens.  Many large pieces occupied the space, including Hamidi Hadi's curiously white canvas, Ivan Lam's on-the-dot criticism in "Y.Z.X", and Kim Ng's collage of modern landscape's forgotten areas disguised as a dream. Yau Bee Ling - Mother and Child 4 (2012) Stopping me in my tracks is the hanging cocoon by Yim Yen Sum, an incredible textile fabrication of form, colour, and texture.  Yau Bee Ling's 'Mother and Child' series provide a more poignant, and equally skilful in execution, drawings that juxtaposes a mother's love with her internal struggles. Yim Yen Sum - Where I Come From (2012) At Brickfields, Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman's "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" series was still being exhibited.  A more textured colour palette drew my attention away from, the usual satirical situations that the artist is famous...

It is not often that a 70+ year old Malaysian-Chinese artist puts on a solo show.  I am fascinated with the history of Nanyang-style art in this region, although not a fan of it.  Tew Nai Tong is a Nanyang master, where his paintings are centred around hardworking, dark-skinned women from the villages, with trademark sepet eyes and apparent brushwork.  'Life of Freedom' caught my eye with its reflective subject matter - persons that have toiled through the years heading towards a swirling heaven.  Unintentional as it is, this may just be a most fitting illustration of the Chinese artists in Malaysia, many of whom have been sidelined during the 1971 National Cultural Policy, which promoted Malay art instead of Malaysian art. Tew Nai Tong - Life of Freedom (2008)

"Figure Out" figures to be an ambitious effort to exhibit Malaysian figurative works, grouped via the general themes of portrait/ leisure/ work/ politics. Unfortunately these logical groupings do not serve much purpose apart from convenience. My interests were piqued only at the beginning, and at the end of the gallery's circular plan. Bayu Utomo Radjikin provides a powerful welcome with 'Qiblat', a giant triptych that reflects on Malay values. The Silat exponent readies himself in a disciplined pose, flanked by an empty;Qur'an stand and a cogan (malay royal sceptre). Neither object will come in handy during combat, than the holy verses inscribed across it. Bayu Utomo Radjikin - Qiblat (2006) Hung opposite is 'The Heart Surgery' by Hoessein Enas, an intimate and touching work done in a surprisingly modern and abstract fashion. Around the bend is a remarkable portrait of a young lady with flowing hair, by batik master Chuah Thean Teng. A coup...

I took this picture at Pasar Seni after watching Banksy's 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' .  The isolation and youthful discontent in the boy's face, is a cautious reflection of our times. From NVAG's "Tiga Sezaman" exhibition, this depiction of siblings having durian, is reminiscent of past masters depicting home life with a tinge of melancholy. Hamidah Suhaimi - Menjamu Selera Metallic sculptures of twisting figures and food by Zainudin Hazir, coupled with the gluttony  in Adeputra Masri's painting in the background, make for a squeamish experience exhibited at NVAG's recent acquisitions. Zainudin Hazir - Makan (2009) Having always been fascinated with the store decoration in Tang's, I was delighted to come across this installation which can already be elevated to "Art" status.  The composition of painted wooden clothes pegs glued into the shape of a ribbon, celebrates a joyful pairing of femininity and fashion. ...